Griffin Art Projects, an innovative non-profit art space in North Vancouver, is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025 with a landmark program that pays tribute to the private collectors and artists who have shaped both its exhibitions and the area’s cultural landscape.
Founded in 2015 by Brigitte and Henning Freybe, Griffin Art Projects was inspired by a simple yet powerful idea: to bring great art out of storage and into the public so that people could enjoy these collections.
Over the past decade, the local mandate has grown to include collections from across Canada and abroad, making Griffin unique in the country as a non-collecting institution dedicated to sharing private collections, supporting new research, and fostering dialogue about collectors’ role in visual culture, director and curator of Griffin Arts Projects Lisa Baldissera said.
Griffin Art Projects primarily works with private collectors. They find collectors through word-of-mouth, research (identifying collectors of specific artists’ work), recommendations from other curators or collectors, and sometimes collectors reach out directly, Baldissera explained.
Griffin hosts three different exhibitions annually, each with a new subject, artists, and themes. The director and guest curators propose projects based on the strength of the proposal and the excellence of the artists and collectors. The current 10th anniversary exhibition specifically focuses on the collectors themselves.
“The 10th anniversary celebration is special for Griffin because it recognizes the remarkable individuals, the collectors, who have shaped our journey,” said Baldissera. The steadfast commitment of the collectors to the artists they champion and their selfless urge to give back to the community is not only life-affirming, but profound, Baldissera added.
The centrepiece exhibition, TENXTEN, runs until Sept. 7 and features works from ten prominent Vancouver collectors, offering a rare glimpse into movements ranging from the 1980s Düsseldorf School of Photography to Mexican Modernism and Post-Punk.
“We chose to work with ten collectors for ten years, and we’re showing several works from each of those collections,” Baldissera said. Visitors will encounter works by international icons like Cindy Sherman, Thomas Ruff, and Joseph Beuys, as well as ceramics and photography by Canadian artists.
Griffin will present Christos Dikeakos: The Collectors from Sept. 20 to Dec. 14, an intimate photographic portrait series that captures collectors in their homes and studios which will include key figures like Michael Audain, Yoshiko Karasawa, Claudia Beck, Jane Irwin, Bob Rennie, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Wallace Chung.
The anniversary program extends beyond these two exhibitions. Griffin is hosting a special edition of its “Conversations on Collecting” series, featuring panels that explore themes such as nurturing artistic talent, building community, creating legacies, and Indigenous approaches to collecting.
Special events are co-presented by the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver and the Vancouver Art Gallery, and a curated film series developed in partnership with The Cinematheque will delve into the intersections of art, ecology, and collecting. A roundtable on Indigenous approaches to collecting will further broaden the dialogue.
For artists, Griffin’s exhibitions are more than showcases, Baldissera said, they are opportunities for growth and recognition.
“The artists are quite happy if their works are displayed because they are paid for that work, and they know that it’s out in the world,” she said.
For many young artists, having a collector take an early interest in their work can be very consequential, providing both financial support and career-building exposure.
“It gives them a profile,” Baldiserra added.
The gallery’s residency and award programs, such as the Griffin x Emily Carr Residency Awards, provide emerging artists with studio space, stipends, and networking opportunities at a critical juncture in their careers.
“The Griffin Award series is intended to provide an environment to nurture emerging post-graduate artists at this crucial time,” Baldissera said.
As Griffin unveils a new sign by their front door and hosts opening receptions, curator tours, and artist talks throughout the year, Baldissera took a moment to reflect on the gallery’s mission.
“Griffin Art Projects’ 10th anniversary is not just a celebration of its achievements, but a tribute to the collectors, artists, and philanthropists who continue to nurture Vancouver’s art ecology.”
For a full schedule of anniversary events, visit griffinartprojects.ca.
Shobana Shanmugasamy is a student intern reporting for the North Shore News. She can be reached at [email protected].
